Pirates in the Caribbean (Whitworth Pirates, that is!)

After a couple days back in the office and recuperating from the voyage, let me bring you up to date on the events of our weekend on the Caribbean coast with our students.


Early Friday morning, as in at 5:30, we loaded up the bus and headed down to San Rafa to pick up the students for our three-day trip to the east side of the country--the Caribbean beaches of Punta Uva and Punta Mona! As a part of their ecology/biology Conservation and Human Rights science class they are taking this course module, we arrange for two 3-day trips to each of the coasts--Pacific and Caribbean--for the students to experience different regions of Costa Rica. Why not enjoy the "rich coasts" of this country?! The ecological diversity is stunning to explore and experience firsthand!

Punta Uva is where that line is pointing to.
Slightly further south is Punta Mona, down on nearly
the most southeast corner of CR that borders Panama.
This is where we went for the weekend.

Two hours down the road, around 8:30, we stopped at a MaxiBodega grocery store for a potty break and stretching.

Our bus on the trip down.

Taking a break on the rocks in the Maxi Bodega store parking lot.

Just chillin' ... being college students during a pit stop,
early on Friday morning at the Maxi Bodega
on our way to Limón and then the Caribbean coast!

Only 45 more minutes, and we arrived at our first destination, a working banana plantation owned by Antonio Alvarez, a very well-to-do Costa Rican businessman who is also in the running for CR President. This was one of his five banana plantations, which he visits weekly and heads up the once-a-week meetings with farm management. Talk about a man of the people! Our lawyer had a connection at this plantation, so we were able to arrange a visit with the plantation management, even though tours are not typically given. What a treat!

Piña (pineapple) fields along the roadside.

The road to the banana plantation.

Bananas (protected in the blue bags hanging from the trees).  

On our tour of the plantation, we received a
demonstration on how bananas are harvested.

These bananas are on the pulley cable and ready to be packaged up!

After a two-hour tour from 10-noonish in the sweltering humidity (only a "moderately" hot day, around 80-85ºF but with MUCH humidity!), educated in the ways of banana farming, harvesting, and processing, we were back on the road, headed down south to Punta Uva for the night.


Around 4:30pm, we arrived in Punta Uva (just about 6 km from the lazy, Rasta Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo). It was pouring rain. We unloaded and settled into the hostel-hotel where we had a relaxing night. Regardless of the precipitation, it was still muggy warm, and in the dusky light, the first thing students did was take a dip before dinner.

Eating dinner at the Arrecife Lodge while it rained outside.

We stayed up in the balcony of that building on the right.

The view from our balcony.

By 5:30 Saturday morning, we were up and going, preparing a breakfast of gallo pinto and eggs with tortillas and fruit. We were packed and out on the road to catch the public bus to Manzanillo by 7:30. From Manzanillo, we hiked about 4.5 hours through the wet jungle, along the coast, observing and learning about the flora and fauna of the area... It rained the entire time and I was drenched head to toe (despite my umbrella). I was able to snap a few shots as we went:

On our hike: Bean and I under my umbrella...
soaked nonetheless.

Our Whitworth Pirates taking a break to check out the view over the Caribbean.

The beach on the hike into Punta Mona.

Noni fruit! (This one's for you, Mom!)
It smells soooooo rank!

Some of our students during one part of our hike;
the last photo I took before my camera died.

Poisonous viper snake.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Davies.

Unfortunately, after this point, the humidity was so great and the rainy weather had gotten the better of my camera so I was unable to take any more photos throughout the weekend. (My camera still has yet to decide it wants to take photos again... perhaps an excuse to now purchase a more water-resistent camera, maybe a nice underwater camera?? Yes, please!) I wasn't too bummed about not getting photos for the rest of the trip though. #1: there were nearly 28 other people taking photos in the group. #2: I will get to take this trip at least two more times during my time serving as a 24/7 at the CRC. Perhaps by then I'll have a better camera!

The students in the kitchen making
homemade cacao chocolate truffles!
Photo courtesy of Lauren Davies.

Around lunchtime (1:00pm) we arrived in Punta Mona (www.puntamona.org), an 85-acre, off-the-grid, family owned environmental education center, botanical collection, permaculture farm and eco lodge, dedicated to sustainable ways of living and alternative learning. Waiting for the other half of the group to hike in, we 
enjoyed the overcast day and played in the waves, with Panama just off in the distance around the point. That afternoon, the owners, Stephen and Sarah, toured us around the property, teaching us all about the plants, fruits, herbs, and medicinal remedies, detailing the ways of cultivating, maintaining, and utilizing the hundreds of plants! It was sooooo interesting. That night, after dinner, I was able to discuss one of my favorite topics--lavender--with Sarah and Stephen. I was super excited in learning about so many plants and their medicinal and practical uses and felt right at home amongst the herbs!

Cacao seeds roasting to be made
into homemade chocolate truffles!
Photo courtesy of Lauren Davies.

This is the golden orb spider. They are alllllll over the place.
Basically harmless. And their golden orb webs are so strong
that the material is used in making stitches
that are used around human facial features!
Photo courtesy of Lauren Davies.

Yummy Punta Mona meals.
Photo courtesy of the Yoder-Holsinger fam.

The Punta Mona kitchen.
Photo courtesy of the Yoder-Holsinger fam.

The compost toilet system at Punta Mona
is soooo awesome! EMs decompose human excrement
and turn it into viable compost for enriching the soil!
Photo courtesy of the Yoder-Holsinger fam.

After dinner, we left around 8:30 for a nighttime turtle walk along the beach for the next four hours. Actually, "march" might be a better term to use in place of "walk." We hustled at quite a brisk pace along the beach, in two army-esque lines, at times falling into single file, and abruptly stopping, forging through small rivers and stumbling over logs and other obstacles unseen in the night's darkness. Wet and exhausted from the hikes and tours and learning from the day's activities, we somehow managed to stay awake, the adrenaline of the nighttime escapades surging through our blood. Although we didn't actually see any turtles that night, or eggs or babies hatching, we learned SO much about turtles in Costa Rica, rescue and protection efforts, lifetime activities, and more. Our guides were extremely informative. I hope on one of my future trips I'll be able to catch a glimpse of the prehistoric wonders as they lay eggs, hatch, or make their way along the beaches to begin their lifetime journeys in the warm waters.


Sunday morning, after a good night's sleep under the protection of bug nets over our beds to keep out the mosquitoes, flies, and two-to-three-inch cockroaches, as well as spiders and other tropical bugs, we had a hearty breakfast and received a talk about the history of Punta Mona from Stephen. By 11:00am, we had packed and loaded up into two boats that took us on a half hour, salty journey ride back to to Manzanillo (Oh, did I mention that part of Punta Mona being "off-the-grid" is that it's only accessible by a hiking trail and by boat?). We came up along the shore of the beach in Manzanillo, drenched through and through by not only the salt water, but also by the morning's rainfall. The beachgoers stared and actually took out their cameras and phones and took pictures of us as we beached, got out of the boats, unloaded our bags, and traipsed across the sand. Given, we really were quite the spectacle, all drenched, terribly smelly, sandy, and salty, with all these green, garbage-bag covered packs. 

This was a photo Jenni took of her family on their boat ride into Punta Mona.
Similarly, we all boated out in these boats, with our bags, on Sunday morning.

At noon, we ate lunch all together in a famous restaurant, Maxi's, and then by 2:30pm, we had loaded up buses and were on the road, headed back to San Rafa. We got home around 7:30pm after a couple pit stops along the way, brief respite from the nausea of roadsickness as a result of the non-shock absorbent suspension of our undulating bus. Lovely. 


It was a wonderful trip! I cannot wait to return to Punta Mona, especially! Early Thursday morning, we head out again on another three-day trip, this time to the Pacific Coast. Stay tuned for the next blog update about that trip. Until then, just know we're back at the CRC where the lightning bugs of the evening are magical in the warm static air, accompanied by real lightning storms for hours on end. (Last night, as I baked banana bread, I watched the lightning storm from Lindy and Dinorah's kitchen window. It was magnificent!)